This is an Independent Scientist Award for Warren G. Tourtellotte, M.D., Ph.D. who is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology, Neurology and Neuroscience at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Tourtellotte devotes greater than 75% professional effort to research focused on transcriptional regulation of genes involved in central and peripheral nervous system development. This Research Career Award will assure Dr. Tourtellotte stable salary support to allow him to commit 75% professional effort to research. The institution is supportive of a 75% research effort as evidenced by minimized clinical service commitments and recent expansion of the research space available to Dr. Tourtellotte. The career development plan will extend the focus of Egr transcription factor function in the laboratory to include studies of cellular physiology, signal transduction and genome wide regulatory network analysis. Dr. Tourtellotte will use the career development resources to strengthen collaborative networks both within the institution and externally to strengthen the research program by improving the methodology, scientific staff and expertise available to the laboratory. The Research Plan will characterize the role of Egr transcription factors in sympathetic nervous system development, neurotrophin mediated gene regulation and signal transduction. The planned career development activities will take full advantage of the rich collaborative and career development resources available at Northwestern University.